Saving Harry
by ricaruns
Summary: Professors McGonagall and Snape come to realize that Harry is not being cared for properly and it is up to them to right this wrong.


**Author's note: This is an alternative universe and takes place in the spring of 1986. Minerva McGonagall is married to Severus Snape and I changed the timeline so that Minerva is only 20 years older than Snape, but the events of Minerva falling in love with muggle boy and marrying Elphinstone still happen, just at a different time (Minerva is 46 , Severus is 26) . They were married before Snape's 2nd year of teaching began. I am also making Minerva have a strong relationship with her family and she along with Severus return to the village in Scotland where she grew up every July and return to Hogwarts at the beginning of August. Minerva's father remains a Presbyterian minister, but is more informed about the wizarding world. Although briefly mentioned, the Rev Robert McGonagall seems to strike me as a man who loves his wife and children and would want to know that his children are being taken care of while at Hogwarts. Also, with the first wizarding war 'coming home' to speak, Robert McGonagall wanted to know about the things that would affect his children (since it seems logical that the McGonagall family is a 'Light' family and played a role in the first wizarding war). Also, the effects of WWII sort of come into play since the McGonagall family would know the effects of a war. I also think there is no way Minerva McGonagall could possibly do all 3 of her jobs at Hogwarts to the best of her ability. This will come into play later.**

 **Additionally, Lucius Malfoy is more dimensional in this story than portrayed in the movies. Lucius Malfoy loves his wife and son and is a true friend to Severus Snape. After the Potters were killed, Lucius Malfoy starts to question the wisdom of joining the Death Eaters, since Lord Voldermort has no qualms about killing a baby, what would stop the Dark Lord from killing his son. Lucius Malfoy still has all of the political clout.**

 **I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling**

March 1986, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland

Severus Snape was sitting on the couch in the quarters he shared with his wife Minerva. They were both reading and enjoying the quiet of the castle since it was Easter break. As Severus was getting to the end of the chapter, something felt like it was wrong, at first he was confused as to why that would be-he and Minerva were in their quarters, hardly any students were left at the castle and it was past curfew and it was not their night to patrol the halls. Severus wanted to ignore this sense of wrongness but he learned during his time dealing with the Marauders and as a spy to never ignore gut feelings because sometimes those gut feelings can save your life. He looked over at Minerva and as expected she was in perfect health, there no snakes or (lions) in the infirmary, and the Dark Lord had disappeared or went underground or whatever the hell happened to him when the Killing Curse rebounded on that Halloween night of 1981. So why did Severus feel that something was wrong?

Severus turns to Minerva and asks "Does something seem off to you?"

"Yes. I thought I was the only one experiencing the feeling that something was off and or wrong. I am puzzled why this would be though; you and I are in perfect health, none of our students in the infirmary and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is not currently terrorizing Britain. Perhaps a walk around the castle to make sure everything is alright will help ease this feeling?"

"A walk around the castle probably wouldn't hurt."

Severus, ever the gentlemen, motioned for Minerva to go through the door first and gently put his hand on her back as she walked through the door. After Severus walked through the door, Minerva gently put her arm on his. Severus anticipating this removed his hand from his wife's back so that she could grab onto his arm. Each of them made sure to have their wands out since one never knows what you will encounter at Hogwarts, even during a holiday break. As Severus and Minerva walked through the halls, the sense of wrongness continued but did not increase until they came upon a classroom on the sixth floor. This was the classroom where Severus and Lily sometimes hid to get away from their housemates and work on homework. In this same classroom, Minerva found Lily crying after receiving a particularly nasty letter from Petunia.

"Lily!" they both cried at the same time. Severus and Minerva looked at each other realizing that feeling of wrongness was connected to Lily, but since Lily had been dead for nearly five years, the only conclusion was Harry, Lily's son.

"Minerva, what do you know of Mr. Potter's home life after the Potters were murdered?"

"He was left with his only remaining blood relative, Petunia Evans Dursley. Before Harry was placed there, I watched the house for the entire day as a cat. I told Albus they were the worst possible Muggles. But as it seems to be with everything, he claimed he knew best and that Harry would be fine there."

Severus roared "Albus left Lily's only child with her mean, magic hating, cruel sister and her terrible husband."

"How do you know Mr. Dursley is terrible?"

"He is married to Petunia, who did not grow out of her childhood cruelty and hatred of magic."

Minerva gave a nod of acknowledgement to his statement.

"There is no way Mr. Potter…Harry…can remain there. I know he is the so-called 'Savior' but he is a child, a child that deserves to loved and cared for. I am not letting my childhood repeat myself especially for the child of my best friend, one of the only women I ever loved. We need to go to the Dursley's and determine the condition of young Mr. Potter."

"I thought you hated James."

"I do. But I loved Lily and I love you. I know you saw something that was off that day that Harry was left with his relatives and you attempted to convince Albus to change his course of action, but attempting to convince him is like talking to a brick wall. I highly doubt that things have changed that much since November 1981. Even when I was student, you looked out for all of the students regardless of house affiliation and by extension; you would look out for the child of two of your former students. Why would Lily and James allow Harry to be placed with Petunia? There were far better options that come to mind and I am sure there might have been a Muggle option listed in their wills."

Minerva stated "Wills? I don't ever recall being called to Gringotts for a reading of the wills."

Severus responded, "Nor did I. I expected to be called to Gringrotts and have Lily ridicule me one last time or maybe forgive me. But that never happened; I certainly would have remembered that. Shit, that means we really need to go see what sort of state Mr. Potter is in."

Minerva cast a Tempus spell, showing that it was 9:30 pm. "Severus, as much as I would love to go interrogate the Dursleys, I think it would be much better to show up at their house around 7:30 in the morning, just in time to ruin their day."

"Are you sure you aren't secretly a Slytherin?"

"The hat did put me into Gryffindor, but I am married to a sneaky Slytherin and one must have Slytherin traits to deal with Albus at times."

Severus agreed with that statement.


End file.
